Honey, Royal Jelly, Propolis, or Bee Pollen – Which Is the True "Antioxidant King"?

Propolis, bee pollen, royal jelly, and honey are the four most common bee products on the market, all marketed primarily for their "natural antioxidant" properties. However, their antioxidant capacities are by no means equal. This article uses the superoxide anion radical scavenging rate as a core indicator, based on the comparative study by Xuan Hongzhuan et al. (2008) using the pyrogallol autoxidation method, and incorporates recent literature to objectively evaluate and analyze the antioxidant activity of these four bee products.

How the Pyrogallol Autoxidation Method "Sees" Superoxide Anion Radicals

Pyrogallol undergoes autoxidation under alkaline conditions, generating superoxide anion radicals in a chain reaction, accompanied by characteristic changes in absorbance. When an antioxidant is added to the system, the autoxidation is inhibited, and the absorbance decreases. By measuring the change in absorbance, the scavenging ability of the sample towards superoxide anion radicals can be quantified. In the study by Xuan Hongzhuan et al. (2008), this method was used to systematically compare the scavenging effects of four bee products on superoxide anion radicals: 1% propolis ethanol extract, 5% bee pollen ethanol extract, 10% royal jelly ethanol extract, and 10% honey ethanol solution.

Propolis and Bee Pollen Lead, Royal Jelly and Honey Follow

The study reached a clear conclusion: all four bee products exhibited good scavenging activity against superoxide anion radicals, with the scavenging rate increasing with higher sample dosage, showing a typical dose-response relationship. However, at the same added amount, the 1% propolis ethanol extract and 5% bee pollen ethanol extract showed the best scavenging effects, followed by the 10% royal jelly ethanol extract and 10% honey ethanol solution. Notably, propolis at only 1% concentration significantly outperformed honey at 10%, indicating that its antioxidant potency per unit mass is far higher than that of honey. Overall, the antioxidant capacity ranking is approximately: Propolis ≥ Bee pollen > Royal Jelly ≈ Honey.

Overview of Antioxidant Capacity of Four Bee Products

Note: The relative scavenging power ranking is based on Xuan et al. (Food Science and Technology, 2008). Absolute values may differ under different radical systems and concentrations, so the "scavenging power" in the table represents relative comparison within the same experiment.

Where Do the Differences Come From?

Propolis: Bees collect plant resins and mix them with their own secretions, resulting in a rich content of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Zhang Shuo et al. (2023) measured total phenolics of 7.02% and total flavonoids of 10.05% in Tibetan propolis; Wang Qihai et al. (2020) reported that the total flavonoids of propolis could achieve a superoxide anion scavenging rate of up to 68.24% (at concentrations of 25–150 μg/mL) in a concentration-dependent manner. This explains why propolis tops the comparison—its antioxidant activity is highly positively correlated with its flavonoid and polyphenol content.

Bee pollen: Pollen walls are rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Jin et al. (2018) showed that methanol extracts (which more fully extract lipophilic polyphenols) exhibited significantly higher in vitro antioxidant activity than water extracts; the main antioxidant polyphenols in bee pollen include apigenin and others. This places bee pollen closely behind propolis.

Royal jelly: Composed mainly of proteins and fatty acids, its signature bioactive compound is 10‑hydroxy‑2‑decenoic acid (10‑HDA), unique to royal jelly. Yin Xin et al. (2022) determined that 10‑HDA content in royal jelly from various nectar sources ranges from about 1.40% to 2.20%, reaching a maximum of 2.20% in grape flower‑source royal jelly. Another study (Korean J Food Sci Anim Resour, 2018) showed that enzymatically treated royal jelly hydrolysates exhibited DPPH radical scavenging activity up to approximately 80% at certain concentrations. However, in terms of direct superoxide anion radical scavenging, royal jelly is less potent than propolis and bee pollen.

Honey: Its main components are glucose and fructose (~80%), with relatively limited polyphenol content. A review (Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2018) noted that honey contains over 180 substances, including more than 150 polyphenols; Vietnamese longan honey had a DPPH IC₅₀ of 68.49 mg/mL (Pham et al., 2022). Compared to high‑concentration ethanol extracts of propolis and bee pollen, regular honey exhibits weaker free radical scavenging efficacy, but it still holds value as a mild daily antioxidant dietary source.

A Rational Perspective on the "Antioxidant King"

The differences in antioxidant activity among the four products originate from their active component profiles and extraction methods: propolis and bee pollen are rich in flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other phenolic antioxidants, acting as direct free radical "scavengers"; royal jelly, with its proteins and characteristic fatty acids, exerts antioxidant effects more through modulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (such as SOD and GSH); honey, composed primarily of sugars with phenolics as secondary components, plays a supportive role. Moreover, the ethanol extraction process effectively enriches lipophilic bioactive compounds, which is why "low‑concentration propolis ethanol extract" outperforms "high‑concentration honey ethanol solution" in the experiment.

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that laboratory data cannot be directly equated with in vivo effects in humans. As natural foods, the health benefits of bee products result from the synergistic action of multiple components. Royal jelly has unique advantages in immune regulation and fatigue improvement, while honey has a long history of use in moisturizing and antibacterial applications—they simply fall short in the single category of "superoxide anion scavenging" when compared to propolis, but that does not mean they are inferior overall.

【References】  

1. Ahmed S, et al. Honey as a Potential Natural Antioxidant Medicine. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:8367846.  

2. Jin TY, Saravanakumar K, Wang MH. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant properties of water and methanol extracts of linden bee pollen. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 2018, 13: 186-192.  

3. Korean J Food Sci Anim Resour. 2018;38(1):135. Antioxidant Activity of Royal Jelly Hydrolysates Obtained by Enzymatic Treatment.  

4. Pham T N, et al. Physicochemical Properties, Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant Activity of Vietnamese Honey. Research and Innovation in Food Science and Technology[J].2022;10(4):427-438.  

5. Wang Qihai, Zuo Jian, Liang Feng, et al. Study on Antioxidant and Antitumor Activities of Total Flavonoids from Propolis. Journal of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2020, 22(12). (Chinese)  

6. Xuan Hongzhuan, Sang Qing, Ma Jianjun. Determination of Antioxidant Activity of Different Bee Products by Pyrogallol Autoxidation Method. Food Science and Technology, 2008, 33(4): 137-139. (Chinese)  

7. Yin Xin, Qiao Dong, Li Hongxia, et al. Analysis of Main Components and Antioxidant Activity of Royal Jelly from Different Flowering Periods. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2022, 43(17):291-297. (Chinese)  

8. Zhang Shuo, Wang Fang, Du Lin, et al. Active Components and Antioxidant Activity of Tibetan Propolis and Its Simulated Digestive Fluid. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2023, 44(17): 399-405. (Chinese)